


children of the sea

by uuaidiREI



Category: Free!
Genre: Coffee Shops, Eventual Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-03 04:18:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uuaidiREI/pseuds/uuaidiREI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka never really expected to fall in love with that cute guy who works at the coffee shop Rin drags him to one day. He also doesn't expect the mess of everything that comes after, including pissed off elemental spirits. Especially, pissed off elemental spirits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. always the coffee boy

_Oh tragic child of the ocean,_

The darkness was a cage, it enveloped, and it suffocated. All he saw was a vast stretch of pitch black, empty for as far as the eye could trace. It was uncomfortable. A chill runs down his spine. He recognised nothing, grounded himself on nothing. He wanted out.

_Forsaken by your own Mother,_

He was afraid, far too much so. When he squeezed his eyes shut, the scenery didn’t change. It was unnerving. And in his insecurity, he imagined, imagined that shielded in the blanket of darkness, a menacing creature lurked, watching, waiting for an appropriate time to strike. Soon. His thumping heart was gripped with fear yet it continued to pound, harder than before, against his quivering chest.

_Let me cradle you in my bosom,_

A new sensation was creeping into his lungs very literally. Salt water entered his body through his nose and his mouth. He couldn’t dispel it and it burned his lungs. Scorched a path down his throat as it went. It hurt. It hurt real bad.

_For tonight you shall witness a dream of much beauty,_

Help me. He screamed. Or he would have, if he could only get his voice to cooperate.

_Stay. I shall protect you for eternity…_

* * *

The small place emitted warmth, the kind that one might experience in the company of a bunch of close friends. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hung thick in the air, it was relaxing and energising at the same time.

The tapered brown wallpaper gave the impression of both age and home. Gorgeous green chairs littered the place, their cushions soft, comfortable. Calming music played from the little vintage radio sitting atop the counter. Finally, warm orange light shrouded the space in nostalgic peace.

It was perfect. But it wasn’t. Because it had been Rin’s suggestion.

“So how do you like it? Pretty sweet, ain’t it? I think Ai’s really gonna like this place.”

Haruka gave his red haired friend a non-committal nod. “It’s good enough, I guess.”

Rin scoffed. “It’s not just ‘good enough’. This place is pretty darn amazing. Wait, till you get a sip of their coffee.”

Is what he says as the leads their way over to a table over in the corner of the shop, right next to the window. Rin waves over a waitress and places an order for both of them- Caramel Macchiato (“You’ll thank me for this I swear.” “Hmph.”)

Throughout the six minute wait, Rin blabbers more about how he hopes everything goes fine when he asks that freshman he’s been talking about since forever out. Of course, Haruka had been a date consultant throughout, albeit a pretty awful one. (“Seriously, Haru, you haven’t dissed a single outfit yet.“ “Nope, ten out of ten would bang.” “That’s what you said for everything man, get serious!”)

Haruka clearly remembers how Rin had rudely barged into his life after they swam together that one time months back. Back then, he had the red head chalked up to adjectives like ‘persistent’ and ‘stubborn’. He never expected to add ‘romantic’ to the list as well.

When their drinks came, it was brought over by a well-built teen who, for all the muscle he had on him, had the gentlest smile. Lazy, emerald eyes that spoke of kindness. “Sorry for the wait, here are your orders.”

It was a rehearsed line but there was something unnaturally soothing in his voice. Haruka blinked. Then he blinked again.

Boy, this place really was perfect.

 


	2. the theory of perfection

_Haruka’s wise grandmother once said, “Life is full of regrets.”_

Such wisdom. Such truth. After all, there were many things that Haruka regrets doing or, in this case, not doing. Namely, how he was too busy daydreaming about swimming to remember the route Rin had taken him through the previous day. The route that would lead to that comfortably small coffee shop down the road. The route that would lead him to that one cute guy with the brown hair and the gentle smile, whose name he doesn’t know.

_Haruka’s wise grandmother once said, “Carpe Diem, seize the day.”_

He was never one to show much emotion but the slightly harsh way he kicks an innocent pebble to the side is an indication of his frustration. His brows are just a tad furrowed as he strives to determine whether the silver railings before him were as familiar as he thought it was, or just a trick of his exhausted mind.

_Haruka’s wise grandmother once said, “YOLO.”_

No, actually, that was Rin. The same Rin who was being a huge thorn in Haruka’s side when he caught the latter trying unceremoniously to discover the name of the mysterious cutie who had stolen his attention.

Apparently, for all the ability he had to be poker faced, he had zero skills when it came to discretion. (“Dude, what are you looking at? Oho. It’s that waiter, isn’t it? Looks like lil’ ol’ Haru’s all grown up now, eh?” “Shut up.”)

Speaking of, finding out his name turned out to be a much harder task than Haruka had expected. His first attempt involved hanging impossibly far out of his seat to catch a glimpse of his nametag. Unfortunately, just as Apollo-on-legs was about to turn to an angle that faced him enough to make him nametag readable, another couple flagged him over. Haruka groaned. Rin snorted.

His next attempt was far more tactful. Biding his time until Apollo-on-legs was in the vicinity, he extended his hand asking for service. Across the table, Rin looked on in amusement. Haruka thinks his face as he tries too hard not to laugh is perhaps the ugliest thing he has ever seen and has half a mind to send a photo of that to that freshman Rin is attempting to woo. But his own target arrives soon enough, beautiful brown hair, hypnotising green eyes, that smile, and a menu effectively hiding his nametag from sight.

A menu effectively hiding his nametag from sight. Damn.

“How can I help you?”

“A glass of water please.” All the better to douse the laughing maniac across him with.

“Coming right away, sir.” Then he walks away.

When the order comes, it’s not brought by Apollo-on-legs but rather, a busty girl with twin ponytails. Haruka hopes Rin bites his own tongue off using those impossibly sharp teeth of his while laughing. Which, pretty much sums up why he refuses to contact Rin to at least ask for the shop’s name.

“Umm… excuse me.”

Haruka is snapped out of his reverie. Oh. Merciful Lord.

“You… you were at coffee shop yesterday, weren’t you? You umm… left this.”

Sitting on his palm was a coin of little value that he doesn’t even remember leaving.

“You remember me?”

The insecurity in the question makes Haruka himself cringe internally.

“I do. You and your friend were a little odd, not that that was a bad thing.”

_YOLO. YOLO. YOLO. YOLO._

“What’s your name?”

Definitely jumped the gun there, _good job_ Haru.

To his surprise, the boy just laughs, a melodious sweet laugh that resounds rich and clear in Haruka’s ears.  “Makoto. Tachibana Makoto.”

Finally, finally, Haruka has a name for the mystery boy. With his newfound confidence, he decides to take it a few steps higher by striking proper conversation with the otherwise stranger. They walk as they talk, along the gravel path, which Makoto was taking to the shop, feeding stray kittens along the way.

Haruka told Makoto he was studying in the local university, Architecture. Makoto told Haruka he was studying in the same university, Veterinary Studies. Not surprising that they’ve never met, the two buildings were on opposite ends of the campus.

Haruka told Makoto that he was in two after school clubs, the Photography Club and the Swim Team. Makoto told Haruka he was impressed the other was able to juggle both his academics as well as two extra curricular activities. He said he’d only joined the Handicraft Club with some persuasion although he soon found out he wasn’t very good with his fingers.

“Also, see I’m not really comfortable with…”

Haruka finds his mind fading to black.

* * *

“Soooooooo, how did it go?” His voice on the other end of the line seemed to be hiding some secret bit of information that he was willing to divulge- at a hefty price. It was irritating.

“How did what go, Rin?”

“Well you definitely went to find that waiter guy from yesterday, right? No other reason you would have flown out of class so uncharacteristically fast.”

Silence dragged over the line.

“Hey, what’s up? Haru?”

“He doesn’t like the water, Rin.”

Haruka would never know what Rin might have said in response because in that very moment a group of really angry stray cats managed to make their way into his apartment. Claws menacingly sharp and poised, ready to attack. Long dragged out hisses echoed within the four walls of the room. It certainly looked like a long night ahead.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey thanks for reading.  
> Stuff:  
> I have no idea what my writing style is doing. I'm trying to even it out, I guess.  
> Still haven't ironed out some parts of the plot nor introduced the mermaid bits.  
> Hurray for short chapters, that makes two days in a row I've written stuff. Yeah, I missed NaNoWriMo so December can be my writing month, I say as I remember the piles of neglected school work. Thank God for the holidays soon.  
> Also this chapter was much more crack.  
> So, please continue to drop positive stuff if you like and I'll hopefully pull together another chapter in a few days.


	3. the cupid is a shark

_Hush your heart, oh sweet child of mine,_

_Do not fear me, feel my embrace,_

_As I have sworn by the very bond connecting us together,_

_Retribution upon those who have hurt the family of sea._

* * *

Haruka feels his head come into contact with something cold and hard. The impact is light but enough to produce a tiny ‘bop’ sound that echoes in his ears. It does a splendid job of jerking him straight out of his current state, teetering between the land of the sleeping and the wake. Something was always speaking to him when he falls asleep in the tub.

Experimentally, he attempts extending his legs only to find them cramped so far beyond hope that he lets them fall back into the tub without any resistance. How long had he been soaking in there? Half an hour? An hour?

However long he took, it was definitely a long time. The water was a comfortable lukewarm when he entered; now it was unpleasantly cold. His pruny fingers were another accurate time marker to go by. He was probably late for school, maybe even marked absent by now, yet he had no motivation or energy to force his tired body out of the tub.

Perhaps Rin tried texting, calling even, the blue device stashed away in his bookshelf ringing like crazy. Haruka can’t find it in him to bother. In fact, he doesn’t even know if his cell phone is where he thinks it is. But he had too much rushing through his head at the moment and all he wanted to do was sit in the water and talk to it. Talk until everything made sense again.

The night before, a clowder had shown up in his house, their method of entering was still a mystery. They hissed, they clawed and they chased. Without remorse, pure malicious intent emanated from their tiny furry frames. Haruka doesn’t understand what caused them to be so severely aggressive, nor why they were so fixated on him personally. In all his panic, he thinks he heard a voice. _Stay where you belong!_ Someone angry had tried to convey a message. He thinks he might be hearing things.

Without much of a choice, he ran out of his house to the place where he feels the safest- the ocean. The welcoming waves, the motherly voice and slightly salty air would protect him from the madness of the felines, that much he had strongly believed. And he was right. Once his feet hit the water, the cats jumped back unwillingly. From the dry areas of the beach, they prowled, dissatisfied hisses filling the air. They stayed on for quite some time, swishing their tails irritably as they continued to focus their attention on the boy, looking out for any moves. Eventually, they tire and Haruka gets to leave.

When he finally returns, he does a quick damage check, noting with much dismay that some pieces of his furniture had regrettably gotten destroyed. This includes a vase flown in from China that his mother had been particularly fond of. He did not escape unscathed himself, sporting scratch marks of various sizes and lengths along the stretch of his exposed skin.

After one too many quiet sighs, Haruka finally decides to get out of his safe recluse. Since he was skipping classes, he might as well actually do that assignment he was supposed to hand in. Getting out of the tub, he notes how most of his wounds have already closed up. It was weird but Haruka has figured out that since young, being in water always had healing properties on him and it wasn’t just an emotionally thing.

It never really bugged Haruka, how comfortable the water was. It wasn’t something that was supposed to be natural though, and he has never mentioned it to any one apart from his grandmother whose only advice had been to carry that secret to the grave.

 Pen scratching paper is the only sound that fills the Nanase household for a while as Haruka slowly but surely makes progress on his homework. The mysterious events of the previous night still as fresh and boggling in his mind as it had been the moment he first noticed the piercing yellow eyes of the first feline that decided to show its face.

At some point, he decides maybe he should be a little courteous and contact Rin. He did fall off the face of the Earth halfway through their previous conversation, after all. A thorough search around the bookshelf and he realises he really doesn’t have a clue where he had placed it last. Dumb phones and their dumb silent mode.

With a sigh slightly louder than he had initially planned, he slinks around the house, on a little scavenger hunt. He just fished the little bit of blue plastic sticking out of a pile of clothes when the all too offensive shrill ring of the doorbell penetrates his thoughts.

Not many people usually visit him. Actually scratch that, no one close enough ever visits by ringing the doorbell. Probably a sales person then. Which was odd in itself though, since he hasn’t had any for awhile now.

Instead, he is greeted by a tall figure. _The_ tall figure with the brown hair and the emerald eyes and the gentle smile. Haruka’s immediate thought was to slam the door back hard enough to distort the dimension back into what it originally was because there was no way this person should be standing in front of his house right now.

His phone buzzes just a little before either of them get the chance to say anything. Makoto smiles encouragingly, telling him he would wait for Haruka to finish whatever business he had on the phone before speaking.

Thankful for the distraction given to buy more time to collect himself, Haruka throws an acknowledging nod over his shoulder before glancing down at the cell.

 _13 missed calls._ (All Rin)  
 _23 new messages._ (All Rin as well)

_Hey that guy you were into, the one that doesn’t like water? Yeah he came over to our class today what do you want me to do?_

_Hellloooooo Haru._

_Eyyy Haru, ma boy. Pick up your damn phone!_

_Look, I’m trying to give you this golden opportunity here._

_You suck._

_Majorly._

_I AM CAMPING IN THE TOILET WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY AND THE SECONDS FEEL LIKE HOURS AND THAT GUY IS GOING TO GET SUSPICIOUS!_

_Haru?_

_Nanase Haruka!_

_Final warning dude._

_I give up. I’m sending him to your place._

_._

_._

_So, is he there yet?_

Haruka flips his phone shut and simply invites Makoto in when the latter shoots him a questioning look.

The boy bows politely, takes off his shoes and proceeds inside. As he passes Haruka so does a gust of unusually strong wind that caressed and whispered in a menacing tone.

“Stay where you belong.” It said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.  
> Remember when I said 'a few days'?  
> Remember when I said 'December can be my writing month'? Gross laugh-sobs.  
> Also, I'm still having trouble deciding if I want to go fluff or tragedy for this piece so I'm taking my own sweet time building up.  
> Aaaand that's about it. Please give me a something acknowledging, really encouraging. I'll see you in a bit. No promises.  
> *double finger bang exit*


	4. kiss the boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruk's conscience serenades.

_Yes, you want him._

Makoto never asked. Even though he was standing just next to the ripped up pieces of the curtain. That was simply how Makoto was, one hundred and eighty centimetres of polite unobtrusiveness.

Haruka, on the other hand, was filled with a strange need to justify himself. Couldn’t let Makoto know he’d ran out of the house at the intrusion of some felines, could he? He tried to think of an excuse but his mouth and mind are in separate worlds for as he draws blanks in his head, he opens his mouth and goes, “Pro wrestling.”

It takes Makoto a couple of blinks before the taller male laughs. A soft, melodious sound. Haruka thinks it is beautiful and suddenly whether the other took him seriously or not doesn’t matter.

_Look at him you know, you do._

Then, the social awkwardness kicks in at full throttle. He should probably invite him to sit, but the floor is messy. They could sit on his bed. But that’s upstairs and might give off the impression that he’s a little bit eager. Maybe he should never have invited him in. There was also the issue about the water. Haruka has half a mind to strangle Rin for this.

“If you don’t mind, do you need some help cleaning up? Pro wrestler-san.” A hint of mirth in his tone.

Haruka’s eyes light up almost instantly, thankful for the distraction. They end up doing just that and Haruka finds out that Makoto is unexpectedly great with housework. Makoto must have somehow picked up on his awe because he starts telling him about how, in his family, he helps out around the house a lot since he has two younger siblings to care for.

Ran and Ren are, apparently, the cutest pair of younger twin siblings anyone could ask for, according to Makoto. They get into really childish fights at times-both having wills as strong as rocks with neither willing to back down for the other- but they can be really sweet when they scheme surprise birthday parties together and try to cover it up with really bad lies.

Haruka’s never been one to want to go out and interact with people but Makoto has so much affection in his voice he can’t help feeling even a tad bit curious. Especially after seeing the way Makoto’s lips curve into a smile so beautiful and his movements get a bit lighter, a bit gentler.

“Ah I must be boring you with all this talk. Maybe you should say something about yourself too.”

_It’s possible he wants you too._

Not knowing what else to say, Haruka directly addresses the information Makoto has given him by giving details of his own family. There wasn’t very much to say about them though. He had loving parents who were always busy earning money so the household could be kept in constant material luxury and he didn’t have any siblings of whom he could retell stories of.

But it wasn’t often that your crush simply waltzes into your house and cleans up with you so Haruka is determined not to let the conversation simply die on the account of his social inadequacy.

Makoto. Coffee shop. Coffee. Tea. _Or me._

Haruka internal yells a harsh shut up to his conscience.

“How about I make you some tea? As a token of my gratitude.”

Makoto perks up at the suggestion. Haruka almost smiles at how endearing the motion is. Fluidly, he moves to the kitchen to boil the water, fishing out the teabags from a container while he waits. Over the course of their bonding over house cleaning, something coaxes Makoto to act more familiarly in the house, which manifests in how the brunette wordlessly lets himself around the place. Namely helping to shift some more objects into the bedroom and such before trailing into the kitchen after Haruka.

“Tea smells lovely.”

Haruka almost jumps.

“Well, you do spend a lot of time in a coffee shop.”

_There is one way to ask him_

Thanks to the tea, neither of the two have any will to continue working and they settle for sitting on Haruka’s mess-free bed where they sip tea. Sometime later, Makoto asks the important question.

“Oh is that a trophy? Wow first place in a swimming meet! You must really love it, huh? You did mention you were on the Swim Team, didn’t you?”

Haruka shifts around. It wasn’t a subject he wanted to think about but there wasn’t much use dancing around it either. So he inhales and tells Makoto about how he loves the water and literally can’t bear it part with it for very long. To this Makoto good-naturedly replies that it was cool, neglecting the fact that he’d once stated he was uncomfortable with being around bodies of water.

_And it don’t take a word, not a single word_

“You said you weren’t comfortable with the water once.”

“It’s not a very bright topic so let’s not tread there.”

Then they’re back to discussions about the most mundane things like favourites and stories of the past. That is until, Makoto glances at the clock and realises just how late it was.

He is escorted out the door when he says, bright and cheerful, “Will you be at school tomorrow?”

_Go on and kiss the boy_

_Hell yeah I want to kiss this guy._

He doesn’t though. Just waves him off like a proper host. Then he whips out his cell phone and texts the first (and only number) in his log -the ever unfortunate Rin.

_Sing with me now  
_ _Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
_ _My, oh, my  
_ _Look at the boy too shy  
_ _Ain_ _’_ _t gonna kiss the guy  
_ _Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
_ _Ain_ _’_ _t that sad  
_ _Ain_ _’_ _t it shame, too bad  
_ _I’m gonna miss the guy_

Haruka doesn’t know what possessed him to press Send. He shouldn’t. Oh, he really should not. He watches the message delivery status and is already feeling a wave of trepidation coupled with regret. That is until Rin texts back less than a minute later going:

_CAAAAAAAAAAAAAN YOU FEEEEEEL DAAAA LURRRRV TONIIIIITE_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello.  
> Do you know where I’m going because I kind of don’t but I have to finish what I started. Sneak peek: Next chapter actually happens in the coffee shop. Look forward. Taking me forever to get to the mermaids. I also have a side story that will explain Rin’s text. More excitement.   
> Oh yeah, Kiss The Girl, I don't have the rights.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. This is the prologue of something I'm hoping to properly kickstart. I have yet to iron out some parts of the plot yet, but I'm hoping to really focus on this one.  
> I will introduce the mermaid stuff later on. And that's about it. Right, I'll see ya next chapter. Do leave me comments or things, really encouraging.


End file.
